KI-67 AND CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 EXPRESSIONS IN ODONTOGENIC KERATOCYSTS, DENTAL FOLLICLE AND AMELOBLASTOMA-AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

Purpose: Ki-67 and COX-2 are two markers which are commonly used to assess tumor prolif-eration. The aims of this study were to evaluate and compare the presence of Ki-67 and COX-2 in odontogenic keratocyst (OKC), radicular cyst (RC), ameloblastoma (AML) and dental follicle (DF) in order to determine proliferative potentials of such lesions. Materials and Methods: This study has been conducted on 80 samples obtained from non-smoking, healthy subjects diagnosed as having either OKC, RC, AML or DF. 20 samples obtained from healthy mucosa served as controls. Slides prepared from paraffin-embedded sections were immunohistochemi-cally stained for Ki-67 and COX-2 expressions. Results: Ki-67 and COX-2 expressions in the OKC and AML groups were found to be significantly higher than those observed in the RC, DF and healthy mucosa groups (p < 0.005 for each). Conclusion: High levels of Ki-67 and COX-2 staining in OKC and AML can be considered as the indicators of high proliferation tendency and mitotic activity. These markers could provide valuable tools for the treatment process when they are available for widespread use to detect cases that have significant relapse potential and aggressive behavior